Being able to go to a doctor and receive medical care should be a basic human right, and it is in most countries. Sadly, in the United States, medical care could be compared to a luxury like a brand new car rather than a right, because so many people just simply can't afford it. And even if you do have insurance, it’s not guaranteed that your situation is better.
An Imgur user thought they were so lucky to finally get healthcare insurance because of their husband's new job, but they soon had to find out that it didn't really cover much. A trip to the ER for a hurt arm during a fall will still cost $8k, and the arm wasn't even broken.
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Imgur user meyo hurt their arm and went to the ER to get it checked, then got an $8k medical bill despite being insured
Image credits: meyo
They were overjoyed to have health insurance, but turns out, it didn't help that much
Meyo was so happy to finally have health insurance because it's such a big deal in the United States. Medical debt contributes to a large part of bankruptcies in the country and having insurance should provide protection against the costs of medical services.
An online survey conducted in 2019 by Economic Times revealed that 48 percent of insured people are dissatisfied with the features and benefits of their policies. So maybe having insurance is better than not having it, but the statistics prove that insurance policies need improvement.
For being X-rayed, a painkiller pill, and a bandage, the bill was $10k, and with insurance and the ER lowering the amount, it was still $8k
However, the joy soon faded away when after a trip to a hospital, meyo got the medical bill. It was for $8,000 and that came as a shock. Turns out, the insurance covered only $800 of the $10,000 bill and then the ER lowered the amount a little bit more.
The reason for going to the ER wasn't even serious enough to justify the amount that was charged in the first place. The Imgur user fell and hurt their arm. It was hurting so bad that they thought it had broken, so at the hospital, they had two X-rays done, which confirmed that no bones were broken, given a painkiller, and a bandage.
Meyo even started blaming themselves for going to the ER and trusting that their health insurance would help
Meyo tried calling the insurance company but they couldn't get in touch. What's worse, they are blaming themselves for going to the hospital because now their family has to deal with the huge bill. This is really sad because no one should feel guilty for wanting to take care of their health.
The health insurance should have left them relieved; it should have meant that they didn't have to worry about it anymore, because if an accident happened, they wouldn't need to think about what would happen if they can't afford it.
Some comments had useful advice, so meyo will try to find out if the situation can be fixed
Image credits: meyo
However, there is still hope. People who have read this story were advising meyo to ask for an itemized bill from the hospital and check its financial aid policies. After the encouragement in the comments, the writer and their husband were assured that this situation is not right and they have to get to the bottom of this.
All in all, readers were astounded and felt sorry for what meyo is going through. And non-Americans find it really hard to believe that people can be tortured like this for basic needs.
People in the comments were just as frustrated and sorry for what happened to meyo
